Manufacture of splice-bars for compromise rail-joints



R. J; McCOMB i MANUFACTURE OF SPLICE BARS FORCOMPROMISE RAIL JOINTS.

APPLICATION FILED JA N f2, 1920 1,333,431;

Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

ATTORNEY RICHARD JOHNSON MOCOMB, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MANUFACTURE OF SPLICE-BARS FOR COMPIR-OMISE RAIL-JOINTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

Application filed January 12. 1920. Serial No. 350,735.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RICHARD JOHNSON MoCoMn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Splice-Bars for Compromise Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the method of n1anufacturinp rail joints or splice bars of the step or offset type and an improved joint bar produced thereby and particularly in the strength thereof at its stepped portion. The improvements of my present invention have in view a more economical production of splice bars of the step joint t pc and in a manner particularly adaptec for producing a more accurately fitting joint possessinp improved qualities operative to give adequate support to the rails immediately at the joint or rail ends.

is well known in railway installations it is ofttimcs required that rails of differing section and size shall be joined or c-om'iected up in alincment requiring therefor special joint plates which are formed at each end to fit the res iective rail sections so as to ive proper support thereto. Customarily the step-joints" so formed are made up of splice bars forged or molded with special dies to mold the bars to conform to and to fit the different rail sections to be connected, which involves objectionable features prim cipally in the course of manufacture incidental to the large number of mmbinations of rails of different sizes and the correspondinp great number of patterns or dies required.

An important feature of my present invention contemplates the manufacture of splice bars from short lengths of standard rolled joint plates for the respective sections or rails to be joined, the short lengths of bar being welded together in an improved mannor to give adequate strength at the joint whereby the resulting step joint is peculiarly well adapted to meet the requirements of the conditions to which it is subjected. My improved joint so formed of rolled sections is particularly strong and being formed of sections of joint bars of standard form adapted for the respective rail sections insures accuracy of fit of the splice bars to the fishing angle of the respective rail sec tions whereby they properly engage the rail head and rail flange in the usual manner. A further and valuable feature of my improved joint resides in the formation of the connecting weld in a manner materially to contribute to the cross sectional. area of the joint bars immediately adjacent to the ends of the rails so that additional strength is cured. My improved process of manufacture, as will be readily appreciated permits of conveniently and quickly combining portions of standard rolled joint bars to produce step-joints for the various combinations of rail sections whereby the factor of time in producing a rail joint of a given combination is reduced to a substantial degree.

The aforesaid and other features and advantages of my improved process and stepjoint produced thereby will be more fully understood by reference to the following more detailed description and the drawings to be read therewith. In the drawings like reference characters are applied to the corre sponding parts in the several views.

Figm'c l is a view in side elevation illus trating a typical con'ipromise or step-joint produced in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged and vertical cross sectional view thereof on line E2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. I.

Fig. 4 is a similar cross section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. is a plan view of a suitable modification wherein the splice bars are severed angrularly.

Referring to the drawings 1 and 2 designate the rail ends which are to be connected, as will be noted the rail 2 being somewhat smaller iii cross section than the rail 1 with which it is to be connected. As is obvious in joining rails of different cross section and perimeter specially formed splice bars are required having portions of their length corresponding in size and contour to properly fit the respective rail ends with which they engage. As here shown to rigidly support the rails the usual oppositely disposed splice bars 3. 3 are provided formed for one half part of their length of proper size to fit the rail engaged thereby and at the opposite half of its length similarly formed to fit the other rail of unlike cross section. The s lice bars'maybe of any approved cross sectional contour, for instance of the standard form disclosed having the vertical web portion 4.

receiving apertures 12 in the formed at its upper edge with enlargement 5 provided. with a longitudinally extended )BB-I'lli surface 6 engaging with the under side 0 the rail head. The splice bars are also provided at their lower ed es with the outwardly extending flanges 7 aving their under surfaces 8 fitted to engage with the upper surface of the rail flange 9 longitudinall y throughout its len th. The splice bars 3 are also provided Witi the usual perforations 10, it] through their web portions spaced for registration with eo-aeting bolt webs of the respective rails 1 and 2 and adapted to receive t ie usual clamping bolts not shown.

in aecordanre with my present invention l form the split-e bar of the type described in an improved manner by welding together short lengths of standard rolled splice bars. desirably of the standard angle bar type as illustrated. in the preferred manner of arrying out my invention the standard split-e bars are divided ventrally of their length by a \ei'tit'al saw ut and the half length bars so formed are utilized in maliing up the compromise splire bar by weld" ing together halt' lengths of the standard bars of appropriate sizes and ti'oss set-lions properly to engage with the particular and dissimilar rail sections to be oined. In so welding the sections to form the. completed splice bar it. will be understood that the seetions of bar are suitably supported in proper relative. position whereby when bolted to the rails to form the rail joint they will properly position and support the rail heads with their inner or tread portions in alinement. The welding together of the sectional lengths of dissimilar split-e bars as deserilmd may be performed by the. well known and usual process of electric welding or o.\ -a -etylene welding as may be desired.

in :n'eordanee with further features of my present invention the connecting of the splice bar sertions by welding is etfeeted with the addition of metal thereto whereby the resulting tonnection or joint between the sections will have an enlarged cross see tioual area and resulting reinforeement. at the point of eonnertion to eontril'uite toand add to the strength thereof. As will be noted the. additional strength thus ati'orded is immediately adjacent to the meeting ends of the connected rails and therefore at the point most desired and important in lending strength to the resulting rail jo nt. As ill-us trated, the centrally arranged eonneeting weld 14 is arranged to extend over a substantial area of each of the ronuected split-e bar sections and is desirably formed with the addition of metal to both the inner and outer sides or surfaces of the'standard splice bar seetions. The additional welding and reinforeing metal thus provided is welded thereon desirably from a bar of steel of similar composition to that of the standard 900'. tions and is melted therewith in the welding dperation. The enlargement of the Wel' longitudinally of the splice bar may also as.

illustrated be enlarg to the degree permitted and limited by the distance between the inner bolt holes and at its npper edge. may be longitudinally flared or enlarged to provide additional area of reinforcement be neath the ends of the rail heads. In the forming of the weld the marginal end sur faces thereof may desirably be tapered off substantially to merge with the surfares of the connected bars.

l have thus devised an improved method for prodneing compromise or step joint spliee bars whieh is particularly e onomirnl in prartiee. otfers substantial advantages for conveniently and readily producing eom-. promise joints for the various rail t'onibllifl' tions and luoremer results in the produetion of a lolnproniise bar baring iniprored prop erties particularly as to the strength of the joint tornn-d thereby and as to the matter of at t'ttl:lt' in the tit resulting from the use of the vstandard roll seetions. The result ing pli e bars are particularly improved in that they are formed without change and distortion of the section or reduction in weight as possessed by compromise joints as heretofore used.

As further rontemplated by my invention l desirably heat treat the entire Completed splice bar after the weld has been made \l'llltll treatment may desirably consist of heating to about l7tl0 F., quenching in oil, reheating from 1200 to 1400" F., quenching in water. again reheating to about 1200 i and allowing to reel slowly.

lVhile l have described a desirable embodiment. of the features of my invention it will be understood that modiiieations may be made therein without departing from the st-ope thereof as defined in the appended (lailns and it is therefore intended that all matter herein shall be interpreted accordingly as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

As illustrative of a desirable modification I ha ve shown in Fig. 5 a detailed plan View illustrating the forming of the compromise splice bar by severing the respective stand ard bar seetions angularly at approximately a +5 angle instead of at right angles so as to inerease the area of the butt weld between the sections at the line of joining. In this view the added metal incorporated in the weld is shown in dotted lines.

Having described my ela m:-

1. The herein described method for producing step-joint splice bars which consists in employing sections of standard rolled splice bars of appropriate section to fit the respective rails to be joined and connecting invention, 1

til

said splice bar sections by welding, substantially as described.

2. The herein described method of making compromise splice bars for joining rails of dissimliar section which consists in relatively positioning short lengths of standard rolled splice bars of appropriate sizes to fit the respective rails so as to properly engage said rails when in alinenient and connecting said short lengths of bars when so positioned by weldin substantially as described.

3. The herein described method of making compromise splice bars for joining rails of dissimilar section which consists in relatively positioning short lengths of standard rolled splice bars of appropriate sizes to fit the respective rails so as to propcriy engage said rails when in alinement and connecting said short lengths of bars when so positioned by welding with the addition of metal thereto at the joint, substantially as described.

t. The herein iilcscribed method of manufacturing compromise splice bars adapted for joining rails of dissimilar section which consists in employing thcret'or short lengths of standard rolled steel splice bars, relatively positioning the short lengths or H00- tions of the splice bars of proper size to tit the respective rails to be joined so as to properly engagc the rails when the latter are in alincnlcnt and connecting said short lengths of splice bars by wr-ldin with the addition of metal thereto in thc weld to give greater cross scclional area ot'thc splice bar at the connecting weld and said weld and increased cross section being enlarged longitudinally to comprise a substantial area of the connected bars. su stantially as described.

The herein described method of mailutacturing compromise splice bars adapted for joining rails of dissimilar section which consists in employing therefor short lengths of standard rolled steel splice bars. rela tivcly positioning the short lengths or sec.- tions of the splice bars of proper size to fit the respective rails to be joined so as to properly engage the rails when the latter are in alinement and connemiin said short lengths of splice bar by Welding with the addition of metal thereto in the weld to give greater cross sectional area of the splice bar at the connecting iveld said weld and in creased cross section being c-nlargcd longitudinally to comprise a substantial area of the connected bars and said additional metal being added to both the inner and outer sides of the bars in the connecting Weld, substantially as described.

6. The herein described method of mak ing compromise splice bars for joining rails of dissimilar section which consists in relatively positioning short lengths of standard rolled splice bars of appropriate sizes to fit the respective rails so as to properly engage said rails when in alinement and connectin said short lengths of bars when so positioned by Welding and heat treating the completed splice bar, substantially as described.

T. The herein described method of making compromise splice bars for joining rails of dissimilar section which consists in relatively positioning short lengths of standard rolled splice bars of appropriate sizes to fit the respective rails so as to properly engage said rails When in alinement and connecting said short lengths of bars when so positioned by Welding and heat treatin the completed splice liar. said heat treaFment consisting of heating the bar to about 1700 F. quenching in oil reheating from 1200 to 14.00" F. quenching in water, again reheating to about 1200 F. and allowing to cool slowly, substantially as described.

8. A conn'nomise s lice bar adapted for joining rails of dissimilar section consisting of half iengths of standard rolled splice bars of appropriate size to engage the respective rail ends and connected by welding at their abutting ends. substantially as described.

f?. A compromise splice bar adapted for joining rails of dissimlar section consisting of half lengths of standard rolled splice bars oi appropriate size to engage the resptwtire rail ends and connected by Welding at their abutting ends, said connecting Weld having an enlarged cross sectional area, sidistantially as described.

10. A (UIUPI'UlHlSG splice bar adapted for joining rails of dissimilar section consisting of half lengths of standard rolled splice ban of appropriate size to engage the respective rail ends and connected by a Weld at their abutting ends, said connecting Weld being fOI'IHQCl with the additioi of metal to both the inner and outer surfal es of the respective bars to have an cnlargrd cross sectional area and said weld being enlarged longitudinally over a substantial area of the connected bar sections.

In testimony whereof I hav name to this specification.

RICHARD JOHNSON moons.

signed. my 

